NYK orders LNG bunkering vessel

JULY 10, 2014 —Japan's NYK Group has signed a contract with Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. Ltd. for the construction of what it says will be the world’s first LNG bunkering vessel built for the purpose of providing LNG to LNG-fueled vessels.

The project is the first to stem from a joint initiative between NYK, GDF Suez S.A. and Mitsubishi Corporation that aims to develop a global LNG bunkering business. The LNG bunkering vessel will form the core infrastructure for this business, enabling distribution of LNG fuel in the European maritime region.

The vessel will be delivered in 2016, and will be based at the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium. With a length of about 100 m and beam of 17.8 m, it will have a cargo capacity of 5,100 cu.m and will deliver LNG to LNG-fueled vessels operating mainly in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The business will initially be targeted at LNG-fueled car carriers operated by United European Car Carriers, which is jointly owned by NYK and Wallenius Lines, as well as other LNG-fueled vessels operating in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.